{"id":12282,"date":"2025-01-09T14:04:54","date_gmt":"2025-01-09T14:04:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fantasy.glasgow.ac.uk\/?p=12282"},"modified":"2025-02-27T09:42:52","modified_gmt":"2025-02-27T09:42:52","slug":"fantasy-in-the-midst-of-war-perspectives-from-ukraine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fantasy.glasgow.ac.uk\/index.php\/2025\/01\/09\/fantasy-in-the-midst-of-war-perspectives-from-ukraine\/","title":{"rendered":"Fantasy in the Midst of War: Perspectives from Ukraine"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Fantasy in the Midst of War: Perspectives from Ukraine<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Wednesday 26th<\/sup> February 2025, 6pm<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether we historicise fantasy as an age-old mythical tradition or focus on the fantasy genre as it developed during the last couple of centuries, some of the most popular fantasy texts offer memorable representations of the politics and practices of warfare, but also its resulting trauma and devastation. But what happens when fantasy is being written, read, or consumed in other ways (via visual references, memes, political discourse, etc.) in the midst of contemporary conflicts? How is fantasy entangled with the creativity, academic research, and fandom in Ukraine, three years after the outbreak of war?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Centre for Fantasy and the Fantastic at the University of Glasgow<\/strong><\/a> is delighted to be collaborating with the Centre for Fantasy Literature Studies, Taras Shevchenko Institute of Literature, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine<\/a><\/strong>, to open up a conversation on these and related questions, by hosting \u201cFantasy in the Midst of War: Perspectives from Ukraine\u201d<\/strong>, an online event, to be held on Wednesday 26th<\/sup> February 2025<\/strong>, at 6pm (GMT). The event will include short presentations by academic colleagues in and from Ukraine, working on different aspects of fantasy and the fantastic at the intersection of conflict, followed by a Q&A and discussion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Book your free ticket here<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Presenters and short abstracts:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Yevheniia Kanchura, “The War Theme in Fantasy Literature: Tradition and Transformation”<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The high fantasy tradition portrays a world divided into Good and Evil, with war as the inevitable clash culminating in Good’s triumph. The Last Battle, rooted in mythological and biblical motifs, enforces binary thinking and coercive narratives. Post-modern fantasy deconstructs these binaries, revising war motives and exploring two main types of warfare: profit-driven conflicts seen as crimes and protective wars aimed at defending life, home, and land, interpreted as acts of justice. The talk is based on the works by Diana Wynne Jones, Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman, Vladislav Krapivin and Max Frei created in the late 20th-early 21st century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alexandra (Oleksandra) Filonenko, “‘You Shall Not Pass!’: Tolkienian (Social) Media” Discourse of the Russian-Ukrainian War, an Overview<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The talk provides an overview of Tolkienian references in (social) media and political discourse on the Russian-Ukrainian war (in meme culture and art, creation of fictional maps, music videos, public speeches, etc.). Since the full-scale invasion on 24 February 24 2022, these references have been widely used to describe this catastrophe (comparing the invaders to Orcs, Russia to Mordor, Putin to Sauron, etc.). Yet this tradition has a long history beginning with the Cold War. Certain tendencies are rooted in the historical and geographical realities of the two countries and the particularities of Russian Tolkien fandom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tetiana Riazantseva, “‘We Keep Holding On to Life\u2026’: Elements of Magical Thinking and Folklore Imagery in Inna Honchar and Yurko Kostyshyn\u2019s Photopoetic Project  ‘#4.5.0’ (2023)”<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The art book #4.5.0 (Kharkiv: Vidkryttia, 2023) presents a collaborative project by poet Inna Honchar and photographer Yurko Kostyshyn. This project celebrates the resilience of life and its essential role in sustaining the balance of the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By combining visual depictions of real objects with the poetic texts, the photopoems acquire metaphorical meaning, interpreting notions such as life, transformation, and protection. They also evoke liminal spaces where the realms of life and death intersect. The effect is amplified through the use of folklore and mythological imagery, complemented by the spell-like diction of the texts. The photopoems evoke emotionally charged visions of contemporary reality, some of which allude to recurring historical events, emphasizing the cyclical nature of time. In this project, Ukraine is depicted as the land of the living\u2014a sacred space of struggle and the triumph of life over death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ganna Kolesnyk, “The Womanly Face of War: Mythological Imagery in Artistic Representations of Ukraine on Social Media”<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The war in Ukraine is a highly visualized conflict. Visual responses to it take different forms, with the creation of artworks being among the most notable. Social media has become a unique space where such works go viral, transmitting important messages to society and shaping public opinion. Contemporary artists draw on cultural heritage, incorporating national mythology and folklore into their creations. In many of these artistic representations Ukraine at war is personified as a Woman depicted through archetypical images (the Warrior, the Mother, the Old Woman, the Maiden). These unexpected interpretations contribute to the development of a new mythology for Ukrainian society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Olena Tykhomyrova, “The Fairy Librarian<\/a>: Combining War and Fantasy in Fiction”<\/h4>\n\n\n\n


I wrote this story<\/a> almost accidentally. While teaching a creative writing class to Ukrainian students, I talked a lot about sources of inspiration \u2013 a walk in the woods, a visit to a local library, a tarot reading. We discussed worldbuilding, both in fantastic and realistic settings. Trying to illustrate my points, I ended up writing a fantasy text, weaving the current Russian-Ukrainian war into it. In it, a young Ukrainian woman comes to a library and finds magic. Are texts that combine war and fantasy escapist, na\u00efve, full of wishful thinking? My students were not sure about all this, and now the discussion is open to you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Fantasy in the Midst of War: Perspectives from Ukraine Wednesday 26th February 2025, 6pm Whether we historicise fantasy as an age-old mythical tradition or focus on the fantasy genre as it developed during the last couple of centuries, some of the most popular fantasy texts offer memorable representations of the politics and practices of warfare, … <\/p>\n

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